Blog Archive

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lost their fifth straight game tonight, a 4-3 overtime decision to the Binghamton Senators, in a kind of loss that frustrates Penguins fans and players alike.

The Pens held a 3-2 advantage heading into the third period only to take three third period penalties and have the BSens score on two of them, the second coming 30 seconds into overtime to seal the Pens' fate.

The Penguins will look to avoid a sixth straight loss Saturday night against another team in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference in the Providence Bruins.

After a slow start to the opening period for the Penguins, falling behind 1-0 on Corey Cowick's 11th of the season 2:39 into the contest, Nick Drazenovic put the Penguins ahead with two nice plays 3:03 apart.

First, Drazenovic completed a nice series of passes entering the offensive zone with line mates Tom Kostopoulos and Harry Zolnierczyk, setting up Zolnierczyk with a wide open net for his 17th of the season.

Then Drazenovic finished off a cross-ice pass from Brian Gibbons to put the Penguins in front 2-1. The power play goal was his 11th of the season.

Drazenovic wasn't done there, either, setting up Brendan Mikkelson 14:33 into the middle frame for the team's 2nd power play goal of the night to extend the Pens lead to 3-1.

The BSens battled back and made it a one goal game late in the 2nd period off a turnover behind the WBS net. Derek Grant passed it from behind the net out to Matt Puempel, whose one-time blast whistled past Deslauriers with 3:49 left in the 2nd period.

The third period penalties proved costly to the Penguins tonight, who are now 0-3-2-0 in their last five games.

ROSTER NOTES

Jeff Deslauriers got the start in net, stopping 27 of 31 shots in the loss.

Mike Carman (illness) didn't practice yesterday and did not take warmups tonight. Harry Zolnierczyk, who was a coaches decision on Sunday, returned to the lineup tonight after a one-game stint as a healthy scratch.